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n‘You want to take it forcefully?’ Aubrey gritted her teeth as she heard the Sentinel’s threatening words.

nThe atmosphere was filled with tension as Teresa and Clare prepared to take what they came for, by force if necessary.

nAubrey knew she was outmatched, but she wouldn’t give up without a fight. The safety of the entity—and the secrets it held—depended on her. If that was really Lisa, she had to inform the Dark Arts Faction about this since this could be a matter of security!

nWhat if this was done by these Untainted Sentinels?!

nAubrey had already entered her Phantasm State while the two Sentinels had also entered their Blessed Sense. They were all ready to activate their Spell Models at a moment’s notice!

nHowever, as the tension between Aubrey and the Untainted Sentinels reached its peak, a new figure emerged from the bustling crowd.

nHe was tall, with an air of quiet authority, and his cloak bore the intricate symbols of several Rune Arts. Apparently, a Runecaster from the Arcanist Guild had arrived just in time!

n“Enough,” he said, his voice resonating with the power of his craft.

n“This is not the place for such disputes.”

nClare and Teresa hesitated, recognizing the authority in his stance. Although this Runecaster was pathetic in their eyes, it was true that battling in the middle of the streets could attract unwanted attention.

nThe Runecaster stepped between them and Aubrey, his presence alone enough to halt their advance.

n“I am Eamon,” he introduced himself, offering a respectful nod to both parties.

n“Ahem… I’ve heard of your work, Ms. Hall. It would be my honor to assist you.” He whispered. Well, although Aubrey wasn’t always in the Guild. Many members of the Arcanist Guild in this town knew about her. The first reason was because of her beauty, followed by her work ethic that had been praised by many people.

nEamon felt that it was a perfect time to get to know her. In any case, the Arcanist Guild was no longer afraid of any Arcanist Faction with Guildmaster Merlin, who was actively going against the policies of many Arcanist Factions but still untouchable by the Faction’s Secret Orders.

nGrateful yet cautious, Aubrey accepted his offer.

nThe Sentinels had then decided to retreat since they were already gathering attention. However, Aubrey could tell from their eyes that it wasn’t over yet.

nEamon then escorted her back to her office, his runes glowing subtly as he surveyed the area for threats.

n“I don’t know why the Sentinels are after you,” Eamon admitted as they settled into her office, “but I will ensure your safety.”

nAubrey was a little touched by his willingness to help without question.

nShe didn’t reveal the full extent of her research or the living flesh that pulsated in her basement—some secrets were too dangerous to share. Thankfully, Eamon wasn’t planning to pry too much on this either.

n‘So rumors about this person were true… He’s really a simple guy who always wants to fight for justice.’ Aubrey thought with a smile as she saw the man going outside her office and stood guard.

nIndeed. Night fell over the city, and Eamon took up his night watch outside Aubrey’s office.

nHis runes were cast in a protective circle, within the Formation Art that was already there.

nHowever, in the middle of the night, Clare and Teresa decided to move, and they were not deterred by such defenses!

nThey had waited for the cover of darkness to complete their mission. With incredible stealth, they dismantled Aubrey’s formation arts, their Holy Arts neutralizing each barrier without making any disturbance!

nNonetheless, Eamon’s four-layer Runes weren’t part of their calculation so he stirred from his post, sensing a disturbance that Aubrey didn’t even sense!

nUnfortunately, it was too late.

n“This!” Eamon’s eyes widened as he saw the two.

nA silent spell from Teresa enveloped him in slumber before he could raise an alarm… Thud!

nJust like that, Eamon fell to the ground, unconscious.

nThe Sentinels slipped into Aubrey’s office like shadows, their eyes fixed on their target, the living flesh that held many secrets.

nAubrey slept upstairs, unaware of the intrusion below.

nThe Sentinels approached the entity with caution, their hands ready to seize it.

nBut as they reached out to claim their target, they underestimated its power. The living flesh reacted violently to their touch, its energy surging in defense!

nIt seemed that Aubrey had fed it a lot over the past few days and gained so much power!

nClare and Teresa recoiled as the basement erupted into chaos, the entity unleashing its fury upon those who dared to threaten it.

n“Tsk… This thing is filled with power…” Clare wanted to curse as she knew that her Holy Energy would not be enough.

n“Retreat for now… That’s Vampiric Aura Protection… Let’s return after a while once the protection is gone. It shouldn’t have unlimited energy.” Teresa said as she could tell that the living flesh was just a burst of aura. They just had to wait until it was gone.

n“Yes… I think it’s eating up my Aura… Let’s go.” Clare replied.

nOf course, the commotion roused Aubrey from her sleep.

nShe rushed downstairs to find her office in disarray and Eamon unconscious at his post.

nThe Sentinels were gone, driven away by the living flesh’s unexpected retaliation. But they had left their mark—the office was damaged, and Aubrey’s research was scattered.

nShe immediately arranged a Formation Art to hide the living flesh that was still emitting a threatening aura. Surprisingly, the Vampiric powers don’t work on her!

nThe Sentinels would surely feel surprised if they saw this.

nAfter a while, Eamon awoke with a start, regret etched on his face for failing to protect Aubrey’s sanctuary.

n“I’m sorry,” he said earnestly. “I should have been more vigilant.”

nAubrey shook her head. “No one could have anticipated this…” She reassured him.

n‘But now I know—the living flesh is not just a passive entity; it can defend itself.’ She mused to herself.

n“However, I think that those two will come back… I already called for reinforcements, but they will arrive in the morning. They might return while we’re sleeping…”

nAt this time, Eamon was truly curious how she offended those Sentinels.

nNonetheless, he still suggested entering their Guild’s base instead to get protection from the Branch Guild Leader.

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